Loaded
by ArmageddonClan
Summary: Set during the third part of "The Stench of Purexo." There are various possibilities / limits / cheat modes to be explored by the two ex-Agents, but the results may also vary. Warning: contains Cave Story spoilers.
1. Chapter 1 - Into Eternity

The fanfic ouroboros turns again - the world was yet lacking fluff set during the third part of "The Stench of Purexo" so this story attempts to fill that void! Common elements to certain sequence in The Last Mission by AgentUrsa were independently invented beforehand! I swear! Though overall this is extremely inspired by it and certainly would not have been written without, so thanks! Incorporating Cave Story (warning: contains spoilers to the game) elements to AOM fanfiction is far too easy!

Chapter soundtrack bands: Bloodbound - Avantasia - Nocturnal Rites.

-ArmageddonClan

 **Chapter 1: Into Eternity  
**

Being dead was tolerable in the end, Jo thought. Especially now, as the mood was somewhat lighter. They could just sit down and joke about things for seemingly endless hours. And Ian had revealed himself to be quite the vocalist, even beyond the genre of thrash.

Of course it wasn't quite like being alive. And there were issues, like having to keep the songs they had composed in their head, with no possibility to record them even as extremely crude cell phone demos. Well, in theory they could materialize paper to write them down...

That reminded Jo of another thing. Their clothes. They were the same that they'd had on in the Yaris, as they had met their demise. Which was somewhat macabre to think of. And that led to another thought, somewhat more light-hearted. About blending in to the crowd a bit better.

Jo was just a bit unsure.

"Ian?"

He turned to her, looking somewhat absent. Last Jo remembered, he had been contemplating whether it was possible to imagine and materialize some – any – functioning recording device, even an ancient tape deck.

Jo continued. "What if I was to wear something … hotter?"

To tell the truth, it was not something she would normally say. And she could even imagine Ian's response along the lines of not being able to imagine anything hotter than the loose denim she wore now, as he would associate it with her being relaxed and content, like after a show.

"How could I say no to that? You mean, like materializing..."

Hm. Actually a bit different than what she had expected. "Yeah. Just like that. But don't laugh, no matter what happens."

"Of course not. Do I close my eyes?"

"That's probably best. In case it goes totally south."

"Deal."

Jo concentrated for a moment. To be honest, she didn't have much imagination with her right now, so she thought of the first idea that would blend well enough. Something metal. She concentrated more, until there came like a rush of air.

She could feel the faint breeze on her skin now, and looked down to confirm it had actually worked. To be honest, it hadn't been anything complicated. Just a minimal top and fake leather pants. Of course all black.

"You can look now."

Jo could see Ian's smile form almost instantly.

"Hey, I know that. It's a Guitar Hero cosplay, right?"

Jo hadn't much of an idea what he was even talking about. She didn't know games that well. Then Ian's expression changed just a bit more serious.

"But... it also kind of reminds me of Frozen Hell. Like that I need to keep you warm. You remember that one? Sorry, that's probably not what you wanted to hear."

Jo just had to shake her head. This hadn't quite gone according to plan, but was still kind of funny. Of course she remembered the mission, the worst festival ever. Hadn't it been for SCEPTRE's presence and pursuit, it would have been just pure (bad) humor too.

"Can I try too?" Ian asked.

"Just go ahead."

"Let's see … if this ends up like some freaky teleportation accident," Ian muttered to himself as he began to concentrate. Jo wasn't sure what he meant with that. Possibly some tangle of mutilated fabric or such, so she too closed her eyes.

Some seconds passed, until Ian spoke.

"Done."

Just a bit reluctantly Jo opened her eyes, not knowing what to expect. Well, it wasn't anything horror-like. Ian had nothing but black leather (these appeared not to be fake) trousers on him.

Jo had to smile back. "I think I get you now. Like … of course. A poor emo-goth boy, all alone in the fog. Of course I'd think of keeping you warm too."

Ian didn't look upset in the least.

"So, do we just change back?" he asked. "Or… of course we could be Quote and Curly. It's easy too, just a lot of red. And a radio headset. Yeah, kind of pointless, I know."

Jo had one more idea. Of which she wasn't quite sure either. But they had started already, so one might as well go all the way.

"Hold on. I'll try one more thing."

What Jo had in mind wasn't any stretch of imagination either, but she was fairly sure it would catch Ian's attention. Possibly, it was a bit too much. But should they ever exit this place to elsewhere, the opportunity was unlikely to repeat.

The main point was that the wings had to be full-size. Otherwise it would just look cheap. Then there was the matter of color. Jo honestly couldn't go with white. But totally black didn't sit right either. So she went for dark grey. That would reflect her actions as an Agent, and also afterwards.

She had to concentrate more now. Another rush of air, and the transformation was complete. Thankfully Ian still had his eyes closed, so she could confirm it had turned out right. She would have needed a mirror to be absolutely certain, but was fairly sure it was a success.

Just then she remembered something.

She flashed back a few days, to when she had become so suddenly upset upon Ian commenting of how each second of her presence helped. In the end, it wasn't about the Ka trip at all. Of how she had come very close to giving up on herself and Ian. No. That matter was resolved.

But there was someone else she had given up on, and it all came back to her now.

She remembered the darkness of the studio. How she had come to check it one last time, the backpack already 100% ready for the escape to begin. Russ had been sleeping on the couch, seemingly passed out after a session of moderately heavy drinking.

Jo had misjudged his condition, as he had actually been semi-awake.

"Hey, angel. Where are you going with that loaded … backpack on your back?"

It was a bad song lyric reference. And Russ probably had no idea what she was about to do. Probably he thought she was going to see some friend and be back in a day or two. And right in that moment, she had possessed no strength to handle it right and at least let him know she would not be coming back. So, unable to look at him or say a word, unable to tolerate one more day of how he was wasting his life away, she had turned away and left.

To remember it here, far away from him, honestly fucked up with her mind to a degree she hadn't imagined possible.


	2. Chapter 2 - Lost In Space

**Chapter 2: Lost In Space  
**

Ian thought it was like that one day long ago in the server room. That he could sense something had changed, even if there was just silence. Now the silence had lasted for too long. He opened his eyes.

To be honest, he wasn't quite ready for what he saw, that Jo had changed into an angel outfit, with wings so large that she might actually be able to fly. But there was something wrong; she was down on her bare knees in the fog, frowning heavily and mouth curled downward.

"Jo … what is it? Can I do something?"

Jo spoke slowly and hoarsely. "I ... messed up. And I can never correct it now."

This wasn't making much sense to Ian. They had just been having stupid harmless fun. What there was to mess up? As far as Ian could tell, Jo had succeeded pretty much completely in looking very much hot.

But then he realized. It had to be some memory that hadn't triggered until now.

By now he also had more realistic expectations of what he could actually do to help. The rainbow in the sky was just an illusion in Manowar's lyrics.

"Can you tell me? You might feel better."

Jo shook her head. "Not so sure."

Ian closed his eyes for a moment. He couldn't deny feeling suddenly heavy. If Jo wasn't all right, then he wasn't either, really. But, at least they had time. And honestly, they had survived worse.

"You don't have to. But... I'd still like to keep you warm."

For a brief instant, Jo smiled just a little. A moment later, Ian had her in his lap. The wings tickled his skin, and had the situation been different, it certainly would have been amusing. To an onlooker, the whole setup had to look amusing, perhaps to the utter maximum. Ian kind of felt torn up now, and kept silent, just like Jo did too. But certainly, to hold her at this moment was better than not to. He didn't know what else to do.

Slowly, his mind began to wander, until he realized something. That though his heart was heavy, Jo felt lighter against him than what he remembered from being alive.

He began to speak, slowly and almost randomly.

"You know, I was stupid for not realizing this. Back when we first arrived here, I was in a panic for thinking that if I'd wander far enough, I wouldn't find my way back to you. When I could just have had you along with me as I'd navigate toward the sound. Quote needed a tow rope, I don't think I do. There's no inventory weight limit here. But of course, then I wouldn't have –"

He stopped right there. This wasn't the right moment to talk of the theme he had composed. He also realized the tactic (possibly formulated by his subconscious) only a moment later, to deliberately provoke Jo by talking so randomly that she just would have to react.

"What? You're not making sense –"

…

Jo flashed back to something else. It also involved Dad. But this wasn't a bad memory.

He had possessed this ancient computer, which wasn't of much use except for playing old games. Amiga, it was called.

Jo remembered Russ talking about pirates, and only later she understood he meant software pirates, and that games, as bought from a store, wouldn't actually have these intros in front of them, which often played cheerful music, and allowed the player to choose whether various cheats (as programmed in by the pirates) would be on or off.

Now, because of the random quality of what Ian was talking about, that he was apparently imagining this place as a computer game as well, Jo started to think of what the cheats would be in here.

 _REDUCED HANGOVER (Y/N) Y_

 _NO MOSH PIT DAMAGE (Y/N) Y_

and apparently

 _UNLIMITED BRIDAL CARRY (Y/N) Y_

That official term was, in turn, a flashback to Vlad the Forger's cottage and his laptop. The days getting longer and warmer, and while waiting for their forged identities to complete, long sessions of just browsing tvtropes dot org, confirming that everything that had happened in their Agent adventures was already catalogued in there multiple times over.

Jo let out a sigh. Maybe she could tell after all, and Ian probably would understand. Nothing was as bad as it seemed. She almost sensed tears as she recalled those lyrics, but of the hopeful rather than hopeless variety.

Finally, she turned to face him. "Or actually, you are. Thanks."

Ian looked just a bit puzzled. "Thanks for what? That actually made you feel better?"

"Yeah, I guess it did. What bothered me… I remembered how I left Russ without saying a word. Like I almost did with you."

Now that it was out, Jo thought it felt easier to breathe.

"Jo..." Ian almost whispered and pulled her closer, clearly overcome with emotion. It was a familiar battle tactic, to bury his head in her hair just in time before breaking down completely.

A moment of silence passed, until Ian spoke again, close to her ear.

"Maybe you haven't seen the last of him. I mean, I don't know how or where or when, but to end up in a place like this is already … out there. So I wouldn't rule anything out."

"Yeah," Jo replied simply. It was a bit overwhelming to even think of the possibility. She rather wanted to say something lighter, but had to think a bit.

"So, would you want to test the weight limit now?"

Ian extracted himself from her hair at last. He too thought for a moment.

"I'd do it any time. But maybe it's your turn now."

"Is that also … something?"

"You mean a trope? Not that I know of. In Cave Story, there's supposedly Curly mode, where the roles are reversed."

Jo had to suppress a laugh. There were certain subjects to which Ian would always be able to twist the conversation into. But she had sort of asked for it.


	3. Chapter 3 - Warrior's Return

**Chapter 3: Warrior's Return  
**

The slow, hypnotic, keyboard-drenched black metal with female lead vocals reverberated from the stage, under the darkening fogged sky. The bright stage lights were on, and it was very atmospheric, and very metal.

It seemed the cheat was on, or it was just the power of imagination that ruled here. Jo didn't feel exhausted so far at least. The hardest part had actually been to get the two guitars on her back in an X-formation, with also the wings in the way. But they were non-negotiable. What was the whole point of this otherwise?

She had sort of expected more of a reaction from the random onlookers, but possibly it was perfectly normal in here to see an angel carrying a barechested emo-goth in leather.

Ian had also been right. This way around was how it had to be, and Jo couldn't deny feeling warm inside. I've got you, she thought. Ian had endured so much uncertainty and outright terror, and not enough thanks for always being there, that he certainly deserved this now. He possibly also deserved some kind of theme. An emotional warrior's theme. Jo wasn't completely sure how it would go, but it would possibly be in the key of A minor. Am – Em – F – G. That was potentially something. But it needed to be refined later.

She also thought she wouldn't have wanted him hauling her around initially. That would have been heart-wrenching. Enough of that. Let his bridal carries be fun and pointless. Actually Jo could only think of one, the very end of their almost-Jack Bauer day. That was some shit you couldn't just make up. But back then there had been absolutely no cheats when she had, in turn, barely managed to drag him across the floor and up to the cabin bed.

Just then her thoughts were interrupted, as she happened to look to her right. She caught a glimpse of someone familiar in the crowd.

A heavily built, tall, blond-haired guy. Their gazes met for a second or two, and the man gave her a thumbs-up, possibly upon seeing the guitars. In the glare of the stage lights, Jo could see his arm was scarred.

Jo's heart jumped as she flashed back to one more memory.

The Christ Illusion tour, a few weeks into her "escape." Front row, banging like there was no tomorrow, the high-speed thrash helping her to forget the future which just then seemed hopelessly confused and uncertain.

Jeff starting the breakdown riff of "Angel of Death." Their gazes locking similarly for just an instant, and him lifting his hand off the fretboard to give the thumbs-up sign while playing the open low E-string. In retrospect, it was not sure whether it was especially for her, or for someone else in the crowd. But it didn't matter.

Returning to the present, Jo hurried to alert Ian. "Hey. I thought I saw –"

But when she looked up again, the legendary guitarist had vanished into the crowd.

…

It possibly was a bit much. But Ian could not help smiling to himself as he enjoyed the ride. He had been dozing on and off, so he wasn't sure if Jo had been trying to say something.

Right now, he began to think that the theme needed one more section. To display Jo's almost militaristic inner strength and determination. As he thought that it would likely be her who would find the way to exit this place to whatever came next, and to possibly reconnect with her father. She if anyone would deserve that happening, if it was possible at all.

The melody would descend to an A# major chord. Followed by Dm, C, A#, Dm…

It would need both a distorted guitar as well as a distorted bass.

Yes. It would be perfect.


End file.
